{"product_id":"human-agency-explained-the-practical-atlas-9798189138973","title":"Human Agency Explained: Albert Bandura on Self-Efficacy, Personal Control, and Changing Your Life","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHuman Agency Explained: Albert Bandura on Self-Efficacy, Personal Control, and Changing Your Life\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a practical introduction to the ideas that shape purposeful action. Drawing on Albert Bandura's psychology, it explains why some people take initiative, persist through difficulty, and recover after setbacks, while others hesitate, withdraw, or begin to feel that effort makes no difference. The book centers on self-efficacy, Bandura's term for the belief that you can carry out the actions a situation requires. That belief influences whether you begin a task, how much effort you invest, how you handle frustration, and whether you keep going when results are slow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book gives a clear account of the main parts of human agency: intentional action, forethought, self-regulation, and self-reflection. It shows how people set aims, anticipate outcomes, monitor their behavior, and revise their approach when circumstances change. It also explains reciprocal determinism, Bandura's view that thought, emotion, behavior, and environment continually influence one another. Instead of treating agency as a vague matter of willpower, the discussion stays close to ordinary experience: preparing for a difficult conversation, staying with a demanding project, rebuilding confidence after failure, and learning how small successes can change future choices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA major focus is the erosion and recovery of personal control. The book examines learned helplessness, discouraging social conditions, repeated failure, and passive routines that teach people to expect poor results no matter what they do. It then turns to practical reconstruction. Readers will find concrete guidance on building efficacy through manageable goals, direct mastery experiences, realistic self-observation, and habits that support follow-through. The treatment of anxiety, avoidance, and emotional regulation helps explain why knowledge alone often fails to produce change, and why agency depends on both belief and practiced action.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe scope extends beyond private self-improvement. Human agency is tested in family life, school, work, and social settings where pressure, expectations, and limited options shape behavior. This book is for readers who want a serious but readable account of confidence, motivation, resilience, and behavior change without academic jargon or empty encouragement. It offers Bandura's ideas as usable tools for becoming more deliberate, more effective, and less vulnerable to resignation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFROM THE HALF HOUR HELP SERIES OF BOOKS\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Half Hour Help Series is a collection of concise, practical guides designed to teach the basics of a subject or provide quick solutions to everyday problems. Each book is crafted to be read in about 30-60 minutes, making it ideal for busy readers who want to learn something new or solve a specific issue without wading through lengthy manuals or complex jargon.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhether you're looking to understand a new concept, develop a skill, or tackle a challenge, these guides break things down into simple, actionable steps.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFocused on clarity and efficiency, the Half Hour Help Series covers a wide range of topics-from personal development and productivity to science and technology, wellness, culture, and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery title is built around the idea that a little help can go a long way, and with just half an hour, readers can gain valuable insights and confidence to move forward.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's smart support when you need it, without the fluff.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e The Practical Atlas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798189138973\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/26\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 124\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.30lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.25w x 0.26d","brand":"The Practical Atlas","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49002327671039,"sku":"9798189138973","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/human-agency-explained-the-practical-atlas-9798189138973","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}